Archived News Release from 2010

For Immediate Release

Community Invited to Join in Celebration of Redwood City’s Designation as “Playful City” by Nationwide Non-Profit, KaBOOM!

Redwood City, CA - September 11, 2010 - Redwood City is proud to announce that it has earned national recognition as a 2010 Playful City USA, presented by nationwide non-profit park and play advocate, KaBOOM! This is a national awards program honoring cities and towns determined to prioritize play and ensure that children are healthy by providing the time and space for play. KaBOOM! recognized 118 cities across the country as Playful City USA communities, including Redwood City. 

To celebrate, the Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department will be participating in National Play Day – a day devoted to simply getting kids out to play. And to make it completely easy, the entire community is invited come out and play on Sunday, September 19th for a FREE Play Day at Mezes Park from 1 to 4 pm. 

The City will provide large group games, arts and crafts, and more.  And, as part of Redwood City’s National Play Day celebration, a local partner, Glenoaks Equestrian Center, will host a Free “Horse Party” and open house at their facility (Alpine and Arastradero Road in Portola Valley) also on Sunday, September 19th, from noon to 4 pm.  They’ll have pony rides, riding and jumping demonstrations, a petting zoo, hay bale roping, and more. Families should plan on visiting both Mezes Park and Glenoaks Equestrian Center on September 19!

Redwood City was recognized by KaBOOM! for its devotion to children’s athletics, recreation, and providing opportunities for play, as well as for making a commitment to play and physical activity toward increasing the quantity and quality of play in our community. All of the 2010 award-winning Playful City USA communities serve as role models for other communities and prove that enhancing children’s well-being by increasing the opportunity for play is an attainable goal for every community, even in difficult budget times.

Last year, more than 200 volunteers from the Amgen Foundation and the community of Redwood City, as well as organizers from KaBOOM! joined forces to build a new, safe playground at Mezes Park, based on kids’ own design drawings. Now, Redwood City’s Playful City USA recognition will be celebrated in that same park, with the whole community.

For more information on the KaBOOM! Playful City USA program, including applications for 2011, visit www.kaboom.org/playfulcityusa.

Visit Redwood City’s award-winning website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, City government, and local business. Subscribe to Redwood City’s newsletters or other City documents at www.redwoodcity.org/egov.

###

Contact:
Chris Beth, Director
Parks, Recreation & Community Services
650-780-7252